LS281 Booker Books: "Great Granny Webster," by Caroline Blackwood

'Tell all truth but tell it slant.' This pithy statement by Emily Dickinson captures the essence of literature and our shared love for it. From our own unique coordinates and with our own slant perspectives of the world, we come together once every month to discuss, dissect, and glean new truths about ourselves, others, and our relationship with an ever-changing world through the medium of great literature. We present to all our members - The Booker Book Club.

For our very first meeting, we propose the 1977 Booker shortlisted novella "Great Granny Webster" by Caroline Blackwood. Granny Webster is a steely and humorless English aristocrat. Her daughter talks to trees. And her granddaughter is the heartthrob of social gatherings. Deftly woven in the hands of Caroline Blackwood, this pacy read is in equal parts moving, macabre, and comic. A lasting account of three generations of English women shaped by traditions and time.

Note: Original language version can be found online or by order in English bookstores including Shakespeare & Co. French (translated) version can be found online or in certain libraries across Paris.

About the Organizer

Saumya obtained her PhD from Oxford University in the field of artificial intelligence in 2019 and has since worked as a researcher, technology consultant, professor, mentor, and a tutor. She is currently on sabbatical in Paris where she is immersing herself in the arts, literature, yoga, social conversations, and techno-criticism. You can find her at writing events and open mic nights around Paris. She happened to meet the most warm and welcoming WICE community on a walk in Parc de Sceaux and is thrilled to be leading the Booker Book club.